Mutale offers to help Bunyoro in case against British govt

MASINDI. President Museveni’s advisor on political affairs, Maj Roland Kakooza Mutale, has joined Bunyoro’s case against the Queen of England.The Banyoro, during the reign of Omukama Kabalega, resisted colonialism and waged a nine-year guerilla war against the British. Bunyoro Kingdom claims it lost lives, property in the war in which Kabalega was defeated in 1899 and exiled in Seychelles. He later died in 1923.

Maj Mutale claims he has some serious evidence which can help members of Bunyoro Kitara Reparations Association (BUKITAREPA) in the case.He, however, claims that unless the case is re-arranged, there is a likelihood of it being dismissed because it was filed in a wrong court and some wrong people were sued.

“I must help you single out the persons you are supposed to sue. I will assist the Banyoro to re-draft their petition” he said, while meeting executive members of BUKITAREPA at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s witness church in Masindi Town on Wednesday.

He claimed to have his ancestry in Bunyoro and alleged that he belongs to the Bacwezi clan.“I am not doing this as Mutale but I have an appointment from Omukama(of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom) to advise him” he said.

JustificationMaj Mutale, however, blocked journalists from taking his pictures, claiming he never wanted to appear in the press. He said as a Munyoro, he has the obligation to demand for compensation resulting from the atrocities inflicted on the Banyoro by the British, during the colonial era.Maj Mutale, who was speaking in Luganda, justified his accompanying of the Omukama of Bunyoro to Parliament in 2012, claiming the Bunyoro Parliamentary Caucus had failed to fight for the interests of Bunyoro Kingdom.“I arranged for the Omukama’s visit to Parliament as his advisor,” he said.

The BUKITAREPA chairperson in charge of mobilisation, Mr Livingstone Bakumiira, decried little support from Banyoro towards their activities and asked Maj Mutale to become an advisor to the agency, which he accepted.